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HMS Gauntlet
HMS ''Gauntlet'' was an ''Edward Saganami-B''-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Manticoran Navy. History Gauntlet was commissioned in mid-1918 PD at [[HMSS Hephaestus|HMSS Hephaestus]], with Captain (junior grade) Michael Oversteegen in command and headed for the Tiberian System to investigate the loss of the Erewhonese destroyer Star Warrior. On the way, the officer candidates conducted a series of tactical simulations under the captain's personal supervision. After the transit to Tiberian, the ship set a course for Refuge, the system's sole inhabitable planet. Captain Oversteegen put Midshipwoman Abigail Hearns in command of a shore party that was to go down to the planet, explain why the ship was there and "get a feel" for the Fellowship of the Elect's attitude towards the foreign presence. Once on the planet, Midshipwoman Hearns made contact with Brother Tobias, Brother Heinrich and other Elders of the Fellowship. Meanwhile, Gauntlet's sensors detected two unidentified hyper footprints on the ships's starboard bow at just over sixteen light-minutes distance. Oversteegen ordered Hearns and her party to remain on the planet while he took the ship to intercept the newcomers, which were three ''Gladiator''-class heavy cruisers, Fortune Hunter, Cutthroat and Mörder. ( ) In the following hours, the Battle of Tiberian insued, as Gauntlet opened fire on Fortune Hunter. Fire was returned and two missiles broke through the Manticoran defenses, destroying a number of grasers and lasers as well as causing severe casualties in the aft energy mount. Gauntlet had just done heavy damage to Fortune Hunter when a fourth pirate cruiser, Predator, opened fire on the Manticoran ship. While Fortune Hunter was destroyed by another missile salvo, Gauntlet too took heavy damage when Predator's salvo hit her, including the after impeller ring. At that point, Captain Oversteegen sent a message to Midshipwoman Hearns, informing her of the new situation. She and her party then sent their pinnace into orbit per auto-pilot, where it was destroyed by the arriving Predator, which also released a number of assault shuttles, one of which was destroyed by the Manticoran Marines. In the following ground battle, ten of the fourteen Marines accompanying Hearns were killed in action. Meanwhile, Gauntlet fought a fierce battle with Cutthroat and Mörder, destroying both vessels. However, she was also heavily damaged.Auxiliary Control was taken out, as were Environmental Two and Four, Damage Control Central, Boat Bay Two, Communications One, half her gravitics and all her faster-than-light com systems. Over thirty compartments were open to space, the surviving magazines were down to less than fifteen percent, and one fusion generator was in emergency shutdown. Lieutenant Commander Abbott, Commander Tyson and over twenty percent of the crew were killed in action. Captain Oversteegen and his surviving crew then headed back to Refuge, destroyed Predator with a single salvo and forced the pirate ground forces on the planet to surrender. ( ) After Tiberian had been secured, Gauntlet returned to [[HMSS Hephaestus|HMSS Hephaestus]] to be repaired. Captain Oversteegen was awarded the Manticore Cross and promoted to Captain (SG) for his conduct, while Midshipwoman Hearns received the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. ( , ) In 1920 PD, Captain Oversteegen was selected to officially represent the Star Kingdom in the Erewhon System because of his reputation from Tiberian. While in route to Erewhon, Gauntlet escorted a small convoy through the Shadwell System, destroying a pirate vesselAn obsolete unit with tonnage around eighty to ninety-five thousand tons.. Once in Erewhon, he ordered Gauntlet to support the formation of an independent state of former slaves in the nearby Congo System. ( ) Known Crewmembers Naval Officers * Captain Michael Oversteegen – Commanding Officer * Commander Linda Watson – Executive Officer * Commander Tyson † – Chief Engineering Officer * Commander Joel Blumenthal – Tactical Officer * Lieutenant Commander Abbott † – Assistant Tactical Officer / Officer Candidate Training Officer * Lieutenant Commander Valeria Atkins – Astrogation Officer * Lieutenant Commander Teresa Cheney – Communications Officer * Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Anjelike Westman – Chief Medical Officer * Midshipman Karl Aitschuler * Midshipman Arpad Grigovakis * Midshipwoman Abigail Hearns * Midshipwoman Shobhana Korrami Marine Officers * Major Hill – Commanding Officer of the Marine detachment * Lieutenant Stevenson Naval Enlisted * Senior Chief Petty Officer Posner – Senior tactics department noncom * Chief Petty Officer Abrams * Chief Petty Officer Palmer – Pinnace flight engineer * Chief Petty Officer Vassari – Graser 38 Mount Captain * Petty Officer First Class Hoskins – Pinnace Pilot Marine Enlisted * Platoon Sergeant Mateo Gutierrez * Staff Sergeant Harris – Squad Leader * Sergeant Henrietta Turner – Squad Leader * Corporal Seago * Private Chantal * Private Justinian * Private Roth * Private Templeton * Private Tillotson * Private Williams * Private Wilson References External links * [http://infodump.thefifthimperium.com/Harrington/hh_gauntlets_weapons_fit.htm David Weber's comment on Gauntlet's weapons fit] at the infodump Gauntlet, HMS Gauntlet, HMS Gauntlet, HMS Gauntlet, HMS